Imperial Entanglements
by Dark-Eyed-Junco
Summary: At fifteen, Leia meets Darth Vader at an Imperial banquet she attends with her father, Captain Antilles and his droids. Vader begins to notice inconsistencies in the House of Organa, and decides to keep a closer watch on the royal family through their daughter.
1. Chapter 1

_Note: This was inspired by the very good story "Banquet Encounter" by Sreya, found here: s/207855/1/Banquet-Encounter_

* * *

On Alderaan, a young girl celebrated two important achievements before legal adulthood.

The first milestone occurred the day she turned one year old, on which she was decorated with garlands of flowers and family members showered her with gifts. In the modern age, this usually equated to money or practical gifts like blankets or clothing, though some brought traditional handmade toys too expensive to play with. Because Life Days were commonly celebrated on Alderaan for all children, the boys received the same special treatment as well.

But for the girl alone, turning fifteen was the second important milestone. A tradition that extended back before the modern age, historians had differing opinions and theories as to why the year was to be celebrated. Why not the sixteenth? Why not the fourteenth? Some said it traced back to the ancient rite of passage into womanhood, while others theorized it had been chosen because of its history as a lucky number in the Golden Age of Alderaan.

It didn't matter much to anyone beside anthropologists and historical researchers. Leia, Princess of the Royal House of Organa, cared only because it was one year away from the legal threshold when she could begin work as an assistant to her father in the Senate. Viceroy Bail Organa had promised her a position in his office, and once she had that, she'd be able to visit Imperial Center (though her parents stubbornly called it Coruscant in private) on a consistent basis.

Coruscant was where all the action was located. Alderaan was so peaceful. Leia cherished that peace, but the galaxy itself was not a peaceful place. The Empire continued to push boundaries, and rumors always circulated of its aggressive tactics. The Core and Mid worlds received the most wealth and favor; the poorer planets, several of them predominantly or totally non-human, also endured harsher restrictions and laws. The regional Governors took whatever they wanted for themselves and their families, and the Imperial Navy took entire planetfuls of resources merely to maintain its sprawled existence. New battleships were built all the time, and private intel revealed the military had dozens if not hundreds of clandestine projects.

Leia had wanted to join the political sphere since the age of ten, when her father came home from months in the Senate and informed her of the deaths of over a quarter million people on Falleen. The Empire's official report on the matter came as a brief and understated address, one that had been carefully cleaned of as much Imperial incompetence and heartlessness as the propagandists had been able; when her Father told her and her mother the less sanitized version, she'd brimmed with trembling, tear-streaked, hot-faced anger. It had been the first time she'd openly confessed to her parents her hatred of the Empire. Though they'd carefully expressed their own opinions in the past, they warned her then to stay silent; as a child, Leia had been loud, and not cautious about who might be around when she lost her temper.

Being only Princess of Alderaan was not a powerful position on the galactic stage. Most lawmaking in-planet was done by the local parliament. The Galactic laws were the purview of the Galactic Senate, guided by the Emperor and his Viziers. Even the Senate had lost a lot of its authority since the days of the Old Republic, but it was the only place where Leia could throw herself into the problems facing the Imperial Regime-and face the Empire itself.

Her fifteenth birthday was supposed to be celebrated by her family, at their lakeside residence. But a banquet on Naboo had been announced only a week before her Life Day, and her father had been encouraged to attend. A lot of important Senators would be there. The richest merchants and industrialists would be there as well, particularly the ship makers and weapons manufacturers. And of course, a lot of the galactic nobility would attend.

Her father didn't care for most of them, but he did like to secure donations and sponsorships for different aid and relief projects. He also felt the pressure from his colleagues to do so, and in the end, he'd agreed. Leia wanted to attend the function with her father because she wanted to learn everything about political life, and this was part of it. She was old enough now.

"Don't cancel your Life Day celebration because of me," he'd said.

Leia hadn't budged. "Father, you promised I could join your work next year! I have to start preparing now. Besides, what's the point of having my Life Day celebration without you? We can do it a week later." Not to mention a lot of the other notable families in the Core had been asking to see Leia for years. Bail Organa always faced accusations of keeping his daughter on Alderaan, or "hidden away," as some teased. Even some of his friends in the Senate lamented they barely saw her; sometimes even if his wife Queen Breha attended a function off-world with him, Leia stayed behind.

In the end, Bail Organa had relented, and Leia had won her first important trip off-world. She was now basically a Senator-in-training.

"A Senator's _assistant_ -in-training." her father had corrected when she stated her new title.

They traveled with Father's head of security, Captain Raymus Antilles. Captain Antilles piloted the family's CR70 corvette _Tantive IV_ , large enough to transport not only the Organas in comfort but their security detail as well. It was not a particularly dignified flight; the royal family and their security had known each other too long; indeed, Captain Antilles knew Bail Organa from the era of the Clone Wars.

Antilles also brought his protocol droid C-3PO, and his astromech R2-D2. Leia knew both droids, having played with them since very early childhood (since infancy, really) and she greeted them like old friends. She didn't have much time with her parents overall in day-to-day life, and possessed few playmates growing up; in a way, the droids that worked in and around the palace really were her companions. She'd been raised by a few nursery droids she still refused to part with, though they had little nursing to do these days.

"Hello, boys," she said as she stroked R2's metallic dome. His large optic scanned her with unusually warm familiarity and he twittered at her. Enough time listening to his beeps and chirps had allowed her to interpret his moods and she took his response as a happy greeting.

"So good to see you as always, Your Royal Highness," 3PO said. "Happy Life Day to you."

"Thank-you."

While her father caught up with Raymus, she sat with the droids and traded news and gossip with them. She hadn't seen them in a few weeks.

Upon arriving on Naboo, Leia raced to the viewport to take in the sights. She'd never been to this planet but had heard of its unrivaled beauty and wished to take in its lush sights before they landed on the platform near their hosts' mansion. Naboo turned out to be even more beautiful than her own planet: healthy greens and blues like Alderaan, but with almost only charming, old-fashioned buildings. The mansion's estate had been decorated with fountains, terraces, and pavilions set amidst expansive gardens.

Captain Antilles and their detail escorted them inside. Father told most of the security to go back to the ship, and that he would send them refreshments. The mansion had more than enough guards to protect the party-goers. The only one who remained, Antilles, went inside with them, but Father told him to relax. As a member of the House of Antilles, he recognized some of the other faces in attendance, and mingled with the crowd, no doubt happy to be among the guests for once. C-3PO, designed for such environments, came along as well, but R2-D2 had to remain on the ship. Leia hadn't a clue what he did in his free time, but the little droid always seemed capable of amusing himself.

They were welcomed in by the minor noble family's majordomo and led to a great hall, already filled with music and mingling guests. Two large tables on either side of the room were covered completely with exotic foods, most not even from Naboo. Service droids quickly replaced any emptied platters and removed discarded utensils.

"Is that the Grand Admiral Thrawn?" Leia whispered to her father. They stood by one of the lengthy refreshment tables, observing. She indicated with her eyes (a princess didn't point) the blue-skinned, humanoid Grand Admiral in his pristine white uniform.

"The one and only," Bail Organa said. He examined the refreshment table, decorated with a silver beverage fountain as a centerpiece. A light blue drink cascaded from it. Her father passed over the fountain and signaled a droid carrying a tray of small, crystal glasses. Presumably it was a harder drink than the lighter beverage from the fountain. He took a glass.

"Since it's your Life Day," he told her when he'd emptied half of it, "and you're now fifteen, you can have one too."

"I don't want to be off my game tonight. This is my first real step into Imperial society."

"That's why I'm suggesting you take a drink," her father said. He winked.

Leia held back a small chortle. Smirking, her father finished the glass, and handed it back to the droid. "Thank- "

He broke off. Leia watched as his eyes briefly widened to the size of a Kaminoan's. She turned to look at what had startled him. A black figure stalked into the room, taller than any of the other human guests, and almost all of the non-human ones. With the music piped into the room, she couldn't hear the noise of his respirator, which had been described to her over the years as sounding deathly eerie; almost wraithlike.

"Since when does he come to these?" she said. "Isn't he always on a ship somewhere?"

"Usually." Her father scowled and for some reason grabbed her arm, pulling her almost against his side. "He doesn't like to deal with the hangers-on if he can help it. Not even most of the commanders in the Navy, from what I've heard. Maybe the Emperor sent him. "

She said, "He's...the one, right? Falleen?"

"Don't mention that," her father hissed sharply. "Now is _not_ the time."

Before Darth Vader caught her staring, she affected a nonchalant interest in the beverage fountain.

Her father also looked away, though with less of his usual poise. He fumbled with his hands, in and out of his cape, then picked through the glasses on the table. Eventually he settled on grabbing another drink from a passing droid.

Leia had seen him frustrated, and even harsh at times, or deeply distressed by some vote or issue, be it on-planet or off. She'd never seen him near to trembling.

Captain Antilles approached them at that moment, weaving past a few Twi'leks in grand robes. C-3PO followed behind him almost at a waddle. "Bail!"

Bail quickly turned toward him and smiled widely. "Nice to see you again, old friend!"

Both Leia and Raymus Antilles stared at him.

C-3PO executed a stilted bow. "How are you enjoying the party, Mistress Leia? Isn't it so exciting to see so many dignitaries and people of importance?"

Bail drained his new glass.

"Already?" Antilles asked as he watched the last of the liquid disappear down his old friend's throat.

"Yes," Bail said. "Just trying to edge out some overbearing party guests."

Antilles nodded with a knowing smile. "You'll have to endure." He turned his attention back to Leia, cupping the side of her face. "What what do you think of your Life Day so far?" It was a breach of protocol, technically; but the Antilles were practically family.

Leia smiled almost shyly; she felt like a kid being talked to. "It'll be good training when I have to attend these functions for real, like my father. I may as well get a head start."

"You're a true soldier." Antilles genially gripped Bail Organa's arm. "Follow me, will you? One of the Duchesses of Serenno has been telling me about her desire to put her mark on something. I told her that you were currently looking for someone to sponsor a mercy mission to Kalee."

Bail set down the glass on the table's edge. The color that had drained from his face had returned almost completely now. Leia itched to look over her shoulder again, and see where the large, dark shape of Darth Vader had slunk off to, but she resisted.

"Which duchess again?" Bail asked.

"Duchess Sabina," Captain Antilles said.

"Oh, yes. I did talk to her once around a year ago, about using some of her inheritance for a good cause." Bail encircled Leia with his arm. "Care to watch your father convince a duchess to help a planet in Wild Space?"

"Of course," Leia said.

C-3PO said, "Oh!" and a moment later Captain Antilles started as well, though he didn't yell like his droid. Before Leia could question them, a rhythmic, almost hypnotic breathing crept up behind her.

"Lord Vader - " Her father said, spinning abruptly.

Leia turned as well, mostly because her father's arm was still around her. Darth Vader loomed over her, indistinguishable from a droid, yet she could faintly detect the slight rise and fall of his frame, in tandem with his mechanically assisted breaths.

"Good Evening, Lord Vader," she said, with a small nod of acknowledgement. She didn't bow. As a princess of Alderaan, she didn't have to. This was her first time meeting him, and there was no point in ruining it with an overly-meek attitude.

Vader barely lowered his head in return. "Good evening, Your Highness. Viceroy."

"Sorry to pull away, Lord Vader," Antilles spoke up. He didn't sound sorry at all. "But I'm afraid the Viceroy and I have a lady we mustn't keep waiting."

"By all means," Vader said. "I've found myself in the same predicament."

"Pardon?"

"The Emperor suggested I introduce myself to Her Highness, and relate his well-wishes to her in his absence. I will return her to you when we are done."

Bail Organa's eyes flashed to his daughter. Leia smiled slightly. She did not fear Lord Vader...not here, anyway. What was he going to do? Drag her off in the middle of the festivities without reason? Even if he invented one later, too many people would notice. This was not his Star Destroyer where he could do what he pleased.

"It's all right, Father," she said. "I shouldn't refuse the Emperor. Go speak with Duchess Sabina before she changes her mind."

Bail put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I'll be nearby." He glanced briefly at Lord Vader, then left with Antilles and C-3PO.

Vader grabbed a glass from the table and filled it from the fountain, then gave it to her with a surprising amount of grace. Leia took it. If he was trying to make her lower her defenses, or psych her out, it didn't work.

"How are you enjoying the festivities, Your Highness?" he asked, inclining his head slightly to better address her.

Leia said, "Very much, Lord Vader. I've never been to Naboo before tonight. I can see why the Emperor still chooses it as his retreat." Supposedly Lord Vader could read, or at least sense, the thoughts and feelings of people around him. She kept her opinions of the Emperor buried, though even if he could detect them, it was no crime to dislike the Emperor. _Not yet, anyway._

Vader paused, as if considering his next words. "Naboo is a worthy retreat, indeed," he said shortly. Then, without any transition: "It's been rumored that you will be working in the Senate soon."

"Yes. Like my father."

"You're very eager to join the Senate, especially given your age. I do not understand why anyone with so much life and potential would waste their prime years in a gridlocked, antiquated body of self-interests."

Leia smiled as she had been taught, without annoyance or offense. "Well, I can't join the Senate until I'm eighteen. I have three years to decide how best to approach its shortcomings."

"Your time would be better spent on Alderaan, serving the Empire more directly."

"My mother is still Queen. I won't have to worry about replacing her for decades, as long as her health continues, of course."

"It may not," Vader said.

For a moment she drew back. Was that the Emperor's plan? To send Vader to threaten her family? But as she regarded him, standing without any aggressive posture, she had to consider he simply had no social skills to speak of. Either that, or he didn't care to utilize them.

She drank the rest of her juice as she pondered his statement. "Anything's possible...I guess. But just because I might be queen doesn't mean I also couldn't be a senator."

"Queen _and_ senator…yes," he said. "I suppose so." Then he looked away, at the table.

Before Leia could remind him that even her father found time to serve as viceroy and senator for their planet, Vader took the mostly empty glass directly from her hand and refilled it, then gave it back to her almost roughly. The juice sloshed, but didn't spill. Leia drank it, thinking, _Stars, has this man ever interacted with anyone in his life?_ She continued to drink. Despite her natural affinity for speaking, and her extensive education on Alderaan, for the moment she had no idea how to continue the conversation.

Vader said suddenly, "That droid, the golden one. Who does it belong to?"

 _Now we're talking about Threepio?_ Leia couldn't refuse to answer, though why Vader would care about someone's property set off alarm bells. She said, simply, "It belongs to my father's head of security."

"Captain Antilles."

"Yes."

"Its designation?" When Leia hesitated, he said, "There's no need to be suspicious of me. I only ask because I have the feeling I've seen it before, with a different owner."

"Then you must have a good memory," Leia said. "He's belonged to Raymus for as long as I've known both of them. At least as long as I've been alive."

"Its designation?" Vader repeated, a little more impatiently this time.

"C-3PO."

"...I see." He hooked his thumbs in his belt, head drifting off to the side again, where her father and Captain Antilles talked with the Duchess Sabina, with 3PO attendant.

"Well?" Leia said. "Is he the droid you're thinking of?"

"No. No," he said after a few measured breaths. "I must have been mistaken."

"They're designed to look alike. Sound alike."

"Yes. Yes they are."

"I should get back to my Father," Leia said. "Technically I'm supposed to shadow him, since I'll be his assistant soon."

"But, Your Highness, we haven't even discussed what the Emperor wished me to tell you," Vader said.

 _Stars! I'm going to be here forever_. "I apologize, Lord Vader - " she started. _But you're surprisingly awkward and boring, and I don't trust you._

"Besides." He drew back and gestured with a sudden magnanimous sweep of one arm, extended from under his heavy, armorweave cloak. He indicated an open set of immaculately carved wooden doors that led onto a veranda. "Isn't today your Life Day? You can take a moment for yourself."

 _More like a moment for you, and your Emperor, and whatever machinations you're trying to weave me into._ Aloud, Leia said, "As you wish, Lord Vader." She would _not_ be put off by him; not the way so many grown men and powerful people were. Leia left her unfinished drink on the table and followed him outside.

 _-To be continued.-_


	2. Chapter 2

The rich wooden deck of the veranda was lined with the statues of fantastical Naboo wildlife. It overlooked the gardens: cultivated with vine-encroached trees, and tall, flowered bushes, ancient flagstones paths wound and circled placid dark ponds. Thin white birds with graceful, elongated necks and long wingspans glided onto the surface of one pond, landing without noise and barely a ripple between them.

Leia tugged on the simple but expensive necklace that her mother had given her a few years ago, for formal occasions such as this. It was a nervous tick she'd developed, pulling on her jewelry, or the hems of her sleeves. Her dress was simple enough and wouldn't suffer for it, but Queen Breha always had to correct her on her semi-unconscious habits. As she became aware of her fingers' instinctive tugging at the gem on her necklace chain, she stopped and let her hand fall to her side. Lord Vader would pounce on any sign of weakness presented to him.

She followed him to the balcony, woven with floral vines around its hand-sculpted stone balustrade. It was undoubtedly hundreds of years old; thin, rustic cracks had been allowed to fracture the surface of the handrail. She would have enjoyed the charming old-world aesthetic if not for the thing breathing heavily beside her, darker than a shadow in the evening gloom.

"I am honored that the Emperor would think to address me personally," Leia said, to get things over with as quickly as possible.

"There is little the Emperor does not know, and your prowess in acquiring knowledge and seeking interplanetary unity has caught his attention," Vader said. "Alderaan is an important world in terms of its model citizenry. There's little criminal activity, and no organized crime to speak of. The ban on weapons has no doubt contributed to the peaceful nature of the planet, and your people are free to pursue productive and wholesome work. If and when you succeed your mother, your talents would be beneficial in continuing to guide Alderaan in its service to the Empire, and serving as an example to less evolved planets."

"As I said earlier, I want to help the galaxy through the Senate. My father has already made several contributions to worlds which now have greater quality of life, and because of that, they've increased in wealth and production."

"We don't need another Bail Organa," Vader said. "What each world needs is a strong leader. You speak of your father, but the truth is that he's proposed far more bills than he's passed, and that will always be the result of anyone attempting to fight through the special interests and corruption on Imperial Center. Have you ever been to the Senate building, Your Highness?"

"No, Lord Vader. Not yet."

"Imagine a massive hive, stacked with representatives from other hives. None of the insects are alike-they all have their own factions and motives and their priority is working for their own benefit - hundreds of thousands of them, contending for themselves and their benefactors. Some are noble enough to put the needs of their own planet or system before themselves, but even they neglect the galaxy as a whole by putting their worlds before the Empire. Your Father is a rare example of one who attempts to offer assistance to as many as possible, but even he does it one reform at a time, focusing on individual worlds rather than the collective. In the end, all of this is an affront to the peace and order the Emperor has envisioned. If given its head, this individualism could be considered subversive."

As the commander of the 501st Legion and Black Squadron, not to mention acting as the Emperor's blindly loyal enforcer, maybe Lord Vader couldn't comprehend the idea of disorder even as an alternative to a dictatorship. He followed the orders given him, from the Emperor (or whomever the Emperor gave power over Vader) and Lord Vader in turn passed orders to his own subordinates. His commands carried a finalty that couldn't be debated, and were equal to the Emperor's. But to disobey anyone in the military was to be disciplined, or arrested and discharged; even executed - sometimes on the very spot. Leia had heard rumors about that sort of thing, too.

"I don't deny anything you're saying about the difficulties," Leia tried. "I've learned whatever there is to know about the Senate, the good and the bad. But it allows each world its own voice. Anything less than that process would give way to tyranny. Even Alderaan has a parliament to keep the Royal Family from accumulating too much power. One person and their immediate advisors can't make decisions for everyone else."

Vader stared straight ahead as she spoke, arms crossed. He didn't move at all, giving no sign he'd even heard her defense. Then he said, more neutrally, "Your response is to be expected, perhaps, since you were born after the Clone Wars. We just celebrated the end of that conflict and the birth of the Empire two days ago, but hearing about it doesn't compare to being there. During that era, the galaxy tore itself apart over competing ideals and theoreticals. There was no order or balance until Emperor Palpatine brought all the systems back together, and truly unified everything. That unity is the stability of the entire galaxy. There are already those who rebel against that structure and threaten to return us to that destructive state."

"...You're right." A weird throb had settled above Leia's eyes. Her body begged to sit down somewhere. Was Lord Vader always this exhausting to be around, or was she just spectacularly unlucky to catch his and the Emperor's attention? "I mean, I don't know what it was like, to live during something that destructive. You've given me a lot to think about, Lord Vader. I truly appreciate any sincere debate." She stepped away from the railing. "I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening, but I really need to go assist my father."

"I told him I would escort you back."

"That's not necessary -" she began.

"I insist." Before she could say anything, one cloaked arm was around her, though he didn't touch her, and she was being guided back inside. Fortunately he didn't make any detours but led her toward the place where her father stood. Bail Organa had already thrown them a worried glance. The Duchess Sabina faltered slightly as she saw who was escorting his daughter back inside.

"By the way," Lord Vader said to Leia, his voice pitched low so her father couldn't hear. "I believe I was wrong before about Captain Antilles' droid. It is the same one I remember."

Leia stiffened. Before she could think of something to say, or even decode what that was supposed to mean, Vader brought her to her father and drew back his arm. "I've returned Her Highness," he announced. "Have a good evening, Viceroy." With that he spun on his heel and walked off. His cape nearly hit the side of Leia's face as he breezed past her.

As soon as Vader was gone, C-3PO exclaimed, "What a horrid man!"

Bail grabbed Leia's shoulders and asked, "What did he say to you?"

"He just asked about my future in the Senate. We talked about politics." The throb over her eyes had only intensified.

Bail Organa's face darkened, eyebrows pressed together. "You know that's just what he was pretending to talk about."

"I know, Father. Lord Vader hates politics. I think he was trying to discourage me from joining the Senate in a few years."

"And do you know why?"

"Because I'm your daughter. I know he doesn't trust you."

They didn't stay much longer; only what was necessary. Father finished his discussion with the duchess; afterward they returned to the _Tantive IV_. They were greeted outside the landing by security.

"Artoo!" C-3PO said when they had boarded; the R2 unit had already begun approaching them with happy chitters and whistles. "Oh, R2-D2, you will never believe what happened to poor Mistress Leia!" He almost wailed, as if Leia had been abducted and held for ransom instead of being talked down to for several minutes.

"Enough, Threepio. Forget about it," Captain Antilles said, even as R2-D2 beeped inquisitively.

Threepio started. "Forgive me, Captain; I will go accompany Her Highness to her quarters. She will need help getting out of her finery."

"Yes, please," Leia said. Threepio knew her well. It was a ritual of theirs, though usually on Alderaan, for him to assist her out of her jewelry and help her undo her hair after a party or banquet.

3PO and R2 escorted her to her quarters. Leia sighed happily when the door closed. She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the modest but comfortable bed, larger than most would have on a transport ship.

"R2," she said, "would you mind playing me some music?"

R2 chirped and played the opera she'd given when since she'd been very small. It was her mother's favorite, and it was always nice to listen to in the evening, especially when she was stressed. If she asked, R2 would play all five hours, letting her drift off to it until she was asleep, blending it with her dreams as well.

As C-3PO released her bun and unbraided her hair, Leia said him, "Threepio, can I asked you something?"

"Of course, Mistress Leia. As long as I know the answer I would be pleased to assist you with anything you need."

"Who was your last master?"

"My last master? Why, I'm afraid I do not know, Your Highness. Captain Antilles is the only master I've ever had, as far as I'm aware."

Leia's eyes darted to the astromech-turned-conductor, R2-D2. "Do you know?" she asked. The two droids had been together as long as she'd known them.

R2-D2 beeped.

"He says he does not know, either. Why do you ask, Mistress Leia?"

"Just someone I met at the party; they thought they recognized you."

"Oh! Who was it?"

"I can't remember." Leia forced a shrug. "It's not important. I was only curious."

(To Be Continued)

 _Darth Vader only needs a smoking pipe and a deerstalker right now._


	3. Chapter 3

_(AN: This chapter is late because it was hard to write-not because I had block, exactly, but because I kept overwriting. I had to trim a lot. Finally I figured it out. I love writing from Darth Vader's POV. This fic will alternate pretty fairly between Leia and Vader's perspectives.)_

Because of his extensive duties in the Imperial Navy, and his unique position as Emissary of the Emperor, sleep was more of a convenience than a necessity for Darth Vader. When he did have the time, he was usually thwarted by his own physical limitations. The respirator he needed to breathe couldn't be silenced for more than at most a few minutes. Breathing without it meant sitting in his hyperbaric chamber - something he didn't always have access to when he was on-mission. Even then, there was still the lingering discomfort of his heavy armor and his prosthetics.

It was best when he was on Mustafar, deep in his inner sanctum, and his mechanical parts were removed, the armor lifted off, and what was left of his body submerged, isolated from sound and sight, in his bacta tank. Then he could drift off for hours without any pain, or much sensation at all; sometimes he could sleep as much as a day. Once he'd slept for two uninterrupted, cut off from conscious and even unconscious thought, but that had been due to a major injury sustained on Malachor last year, and extended convalescence in a bacta bath had been unavoidable. (He knew now that the injuries hadn't been only physical, but nearly two weeks on Mustafar, relearning wisdom and taking refuge in his Sith training, had rejuvenated mind and spirit as well as body.

He would have to wait a few more weeks for the cold submersion of his bacta chamber on Mustafar. But tonight, leaving the banquet early, snubbing the hosts whom he barely even recalled the names of, Vader felt a pull to shut out the world, and even his own self. This time, though, he wouldn't do it through sleep, but through the all-consuming embrace of the Force.

Aboard the _Devastator_ in his hyperbaric chamber, helmet and mask removed by the machine, cape discarded, pure oxygen pumped into the airtight chamber, he reclined as best as he could and brought his body to a still, externally and internally. In another situation he would have imbibed with drugs to ensure he achieved deep sleep, but as Vader planned to meditate, and mine the Force with a clear and unburdened mind, he abstained. Instead he had to devote nearly an hour to dissipating the preoccupations and suspicions that always rattled around inside his brain: the vestiges of annoyance and aggravation and other detritus he no longer had to purge daily, as he'd once been required to do as a Jedi.

And yet, surprisingly for him, surrendering to the ways of the Sith had truly taught him to learn how to subdue the harried parts of his mind. After a few months of his conversion, Master Sidious had emphatically insisted Vader learn to subdue his passions when not in battle or replenishing his strength. Vader had quietly refused to take the matter seriously, continuing to nurse even the slightest grudges and aggravations of daily life, until his master at last had forced him to meditate in the Imperial Palace's secret chambers dedicated to the Sith. Kept so close, the Emperor had been able to monitor him through the Force as he wished, especially with Vader's understanding that he had no say in the matter. It had taken nearly a day and a half before the Emperor finally declared the exercise successful and dismissed Lord Vader from the palace; he'd quickly retreated to Mustafar for as long as his commitments would allow.

Embarrassing as it had been, it taught the newly ordained Darth Vader that even the Sith couldn't afford to be overly-emotional, and certainly they could not cultivate an agitated and distracted mental state to the point that it hindered their ability to consult the Force and its insights.

In his enclosed chamber, he now delved into memories he usually kept tightly locked up; but now he was guided by the Force, so deep in its waves even the traditions of the Sith lost meaning; he was deep in the wellspring of the Force itself, beyond factions and designations. It led him into memory, but more than that: not only what a human mind could record, but the true past itself. Because it had been his past, once, he could access it with relative ease. Usually he chose not to do so. Now he was compelled to.

~.~

Anakin Skywalker had built a protocol droid, which he designated C-3PO, as a child to assist his mother. Years later, after her death, he took the droid back, and after his wedding presented the droid to his new wife, Padmé Naberrie Amidala. He hadn't wanted to leave the droid with his stepbrother; hadn't want to leave behind the last small piece of his mother. But after his decision, reality set in. He couldn't take a protocol droid back to the Jedi Temple. There was no need for one, and he'd have to explain how he'd even come across it. But gifting Threepio to his new wife solved both issues. And in doing so, his mother's droid was still his.

Threepio had been present during a seemingly innocuous memory he now explored: Padmé had invited Anakin, under the pretense of bringing the Jedi and the Republic bureaucracy closer together, to dine with herself and a few other senators. In addition to herself and her representative Jar-Jar Binks, she'd also invited the Alderaanian delegation, which had of course included Senator Bail Organa. Padmé had already agreed to have dinner with the delegation anyway, but with Anakin back on Coruscant she'd quickly rearranged the dinner meeting to allow her to entertain her fellow politicians as well as spend time with her husband.

It had been a pleasant evening, with rich food Anakin had enjoyed, though he'd not recognized any of it. Threepio had served the food with a few other droids. As the night wore on conversation shifted from the war and politics to more relaxed matters.

"How is the Queen Breha doing in this tense climate?" Padmé had asked Organa.

"She's grateful, honestly," he'd said. "Because of Alderaan's pacifist policies, she can focus solely on sending aid to the worlds that need it, as well as attending to Alderaan's need during this dark time. We're eager for the war to be over so we can help the galaxy heal, and go back an earlier state of prosperity."

"And her personal life aside from the war?" another senator prompted. "Is she herself doing well?"

Bail paused. "Well, if General Skywalker does not mind getting into such things -"

"I don't mind," said Anakin, who was still finishing his food and had been content just to listen to Padmé speak.

"Then I don't mind saying we've been having family troubles," Bail said.

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked. "I was under the impression you were still trying to conceive?"

"That's the trouble," he said. "We were hoping for a girl, of course, to continue the line, but any child would be a blessing. Actually, it's causing us some personal stress. The usual busybodies in the palace aren't happy, and they're already starting to talk amongst themselves about a new consort to replace me."

"To _replace_ you?" Anakin jumped in. "You mean they want you to divorce the queen?" (Beside him, Jar-Jar Binks gasped. "How rude!")

Bail Organa winced slightly. "Basically," he said. "Queen Breha would never do it, of course, but they know just introducing the idea to a few others, and letting it disseminate throughout the palace, will compel Her Majesty to be more urgent in finding a solution. I know they want that solution to be replacement, but unless the Queen herself agrees I'm not sure what they think they can do about it. After all, Alderaan is a peaceful planet. We don't tolerate coups. Most of them wouldn't even know how to implement one. That being said, they will nag you until you wish you were dead."

"What are you going to do?"

"We've considered adopting," Bail said, "but apparently the idea also has problems. Would we go to any orphanage and take just the one child? People would want the baby to be of royal blood, or at least from one of the noble families, but that introduces issues of its own. The nobles would compete to give up their children just to get closer to the throne. At this rate I'm honestly considering a clone, but as our Jedi friend is very aware of, the cloning facilities on Kamino have been overtaken by the war effort. I also don't know if I'd want to create a child in a lab, when there are already hundreds of parentless children waiting for adoption on Alderaan. If the Queen adopted a child it could do a lot to teach the public a lot about the needs our planet still has."

"I guess," Anakin said. "I mean, I never would have thought orphans could exist on Alderaan."

"Alderaan isn't a paradise, despite what people say-and I include a lot of Alderaanians in that. We've still got tragedy and irresponsible people just like anywhere else."

"Please tell me if you need anything," Padmé said to him, as the droids began to remove their empty dishes. Threepio, his new gold plating gleaming under the elegant chandelier lighting, took hers and Anakin's. "I've had some experience with disenfranchised younglings."

The night went on from there, and the idle chatter moved to other topics, none important. Anakin had already pushed the Viceroy's concerns from his mind, more preoccupied with being in his wife's company before he had to leave for the front again.

~.~

After meditating, which continued another hour, Vader exited his hyperbaric chamber. He felt-well, he never really felt good, from a physical standing point, as there was always some vague ache, or a weird flush from the various chemicals pumped through his body-but his mind and body were reinvigorated. It was how he always felt when he let himself give in to the deep energies of the Force.

He gave orders to return to Coruscant, as well as contact the Emperor, who would want to speak with him about House Organa after the conclusion of the banquet. Vader had already put off his master for longer than he normally would. Then again, he had left the party early, and the Emperor hadn't explicitly demanded he report at a specific time.

When Vader had entered the chamber and knelt on the receiver pad, he was made to wait for only a few minutes before the large hologram of the Emperor, blinked on. It was slightly distorted due to the distance of transmission, and the technology aboard the ship itself; the Empire poured its resources into weaponry, armaments, and other necessities, not hologram aesthetics.

Vader bowed his head deeply to the Emperor. "Good evening, my master."

"You're strangely late in returning from Naboo," Palpatine said. "Did you enjoy yourself more than you thought you would, Lord Vader?"

"I did not stay long, master, but I did speak with the princess, and I chose to spend the rest of my time in meditation."

The Emperor shifted slightly. "Whatever for?"

"I have discovered a possible weakness in the Royal House of Alderaan."

"Just by talking with the princess? I was under the impression that she was shrewd."

"She is shrewd. She also rejected your advisement to remain out of the Senate. But I have discovered a small opening to begin needling her and father. Eventually I will catch one of them in a mistake and expose them."

The Emperor smiled hungrily. "What is this opening?"

Vader paused, but only briefly, before it could be interpreted as weakness. "While at the banquet I learned that the droid of - Anakin Skywalker - had come to be in the possession of the Viceroy's security chief, and I drew attention to the fact that I recognized this droid. Obviously, it is of no importance by itself, but I implied to the princess that there was significance in my recognizing it."

"And you think she will relay this to her father?"

"It does not matter. Either way I have planted a seed of paranoia in Her Highness, and one way or another it will spread to her father. I will continue to disrupt them and finally draw out their family's guilt-with your permission."

"I rarely get to be entertained by your talent for intrigues-they're so under-utilized, unfortunately. Of course you have my permission to toy with Her Highness and her traitor father as much as you like."

"Then I will do so, my master."

"Is there anything else?"

Again, Vader pushed back his instinct to remain silent. "No, master," he said. "Not at the moment."

(TBC)


End file.
